ARRAN Brewery has become the second Scottish craft brewer this week to announce plans for a bottling line.

Arran Brewery is to invest more than £130,000 in the line as part of a package to increase production capacity.

Both Arran Brewery and Alloa-based Black Wolf brewery – which yesterday unveiled plans for its own £200,000 investment – secured the same grant-funding from Scottish Enterprise and the Bank of Scotland.

Both breweries will offer their bottling facilities to other breweries, providing a platform for many small brewers to grow distribution and lower production costs. ‘Demand is growing at a faster rate than we can bottle. It’s very exciting,” said Arran Brewery’s managing director Gerald Michaluk.

He said the new line would deal with its non-core and development brands as well as providing a service to other small independent breweries. Its large volume brands, such as Arran Blonde, will still be sent south for bottling.

Mr Michaluk added: “We have invested in our own beer tanker and will be able to transport 9,000 litres of beer in three tanks which means we will be able to pick up beer from other Scottish brewers and package it on our new equipment in a very cost effective way”.